Celebration of Hope Honors Sister Kristin Funari

May 19, 2017by

In May of 2017, nearly 200 of our friends gathered at the Liberty House Restaurant to celebrate many things. We celebrated life, we celebrated York Street Project, we celebrated the stories and dreams of the women and families who come to us for help, and we also celebrated the life and legacy of Sister Kristin Funari. For those who celebrated all this by drinking the signature cocktail of the evening, aptly named The Sister Kristin, your celebration the following morning probably included the Holy Spirit dancing on your forehead.

Above all, we Celebrated Hope. For those who have attended before, it was a great reminder to each of us about the reason we became, and have stayed, involved with York Street Project. It is because we know that the hope being offered on York Street makes a difference for those in our society who often are neglected. For those who celebrated with us for the very first time, we invite you to ask questions and find out more about The Project. We did our best to provide an overview of our programs and services, but seeing them at work first-hand is the best way to learn about us. Please call or email YSP with questions or to schedule a VIP tour.

Our guest speaker, Kinga, was so brave in providing a personal glimpse into her reality and educating the audience about the direct impact YSP has in the life of our families each and every day. We all were so impressed with her poise, honesty, and accountability. No one is exempt from making a poor choice, but having the courage and strength to correct our mistakes is what defines us. And with your help, York Street Project is here to help those who are ready to make the right choice and begin their journey toward healing and independence.

As the (definitely pre-arranged) fireworks were exploding over the Hudson, Chickie Funari gave us a more personal glimpse into the life of her sister-in-law, Sister Kristin. Not surprisingly, Kristin’s humbleness over her own accomplishments was a common theme. Sister Kristin did what she did because she knew it was the right thing to do. The commonality amongst the group of individuals in the room was to make a difference not because they can, or because it is convenient, or because they like to…it is because it is the right thing to do. Sister Kristin abided by that creed and helped to build an organization that fosters that belief in its women and children, in its staff, and in those who surround us with love and support. We are honored to continue what she started.

We are grateful to all the sponsors, tickets buyers, and contributors who made the night financially successful. The money raised directly benefits all the programs of YSP and the more than 350 women and children we serve each year. A special part of our evening was dedicated to developing our team of H.O.P.E. Builders. As Brian Uy, Chair of our Board, explained, the H.O.P.E. Builders are individuals who make a monthly commitment to sustain our programs that create and build Housing, Opportunity, Power, and Education for the women and children of YSP. If you have not already joined our growing team of H.O.P.E. Builders, please register your belief in the power of HOPE by following this link.

We are delighted to share pictures from the evening that were taken by Ian Wilson and invite you to share in the spirit of celebrating Sister Kristin and our women and children once again.

If you’re ready to celebrate with us again, you can join us on Thursday, June 15 at our annual block party, Evening Under the Stars. With live music, craft beers and signature cocktails, and a delicious sampling of foods, the night is sure to be another one to remember for our friends. We’ll also be drawing the ticket for our Super Raffle that offers the chance to win a dream vacation. Click here to get your EVENING UNDER THE STARS and your SUPER RAFFLE tickets. Please note, ticket prices increase for Evening Under the Stars starting in June!

Thank you for Celebrating Hope with us. Whether you knew Kristin well or not at all, we are very thankful that you are a part of the York Street family and are helping to sustain her Legacy of Hope.